Police will be out in force in Northumberland this winter to tackle opportunist thieves.

Northumbria Police is using a combination of high-profile patrols and undercover work to tackle burglary and petty theft.

Although the area command has one of the lowest house burglary totals in the force, at 130 recorded incidents so far this year, it has risen slightly from 104 from the same period last year.

Inspector Andy Burdon said: "The area is an extremely safe place but we don't want people to become the victim of opportunist thieves. Officers are now working on a series of initiatives to catch and deter burglars."